Star Studded Normalcy
by jewlzkrysti
Summary: An original novel... about a girl in her high school years and all the drama of boys and life that comes with it. Based in the throws of the rich and famous in Beverly Hills.
1. Introduction

**Introduction**

The California princess known as Julie Christine wasn't born a spoiled snob, but created after the divorce of her parents allowed her mother to marry a rich movie producer and move the family from suburban southern New Jersey to a wealthy neighborhood in Beverly Hills. She is shorter than most juniors at her private high school, standing at 5'2 with a tanned, athletic body and long, thick and curly dark brown hair which she straightens almost daily. Her popularity amongst her peers resulted from her being beautiful and outspoken and never a bully to the underdog. Her enemies only consisted of the ones who were born into wealth and had never known the meaning of working-class.

Also on the move was Julie's best-friend Andrew Scott, the boy next door whose single father invented an easier, more convenient way of dry cleaning and made enough money to join their neighbors and lifelong friends in California. Why Andrew is so popular at their school, even though he doesn't feel the need to be, isn't because he is six foot tall and has sandy blonde hair and bright green eyes a girl could melt in; it is because he is the class clown from Jersey whose sense of humor makes even the teachers nervous. His peers find him truly hilarious.

In a house across Clements St. in a gated community of the hills, the new kids, once again next door neighbors met a girl unlike themselves. Ashley Lynne is taller than Julie, slightly chubbier, and her thick brown hair she leaves curly but she is one of the best dressed and richest girls in the school given to the fact that her Daddy is a very important judge in the California legal system. Julie's prejudice against heirs and heiresses did not extend to Ashley, because to be frank, Ashley was a bitch. Not a bitch to fight, but one to have your back. The girls clicked instantly.

Together, these three are now juniors in the most highly-rated, most expensive private school in the US, attending alongside movie stars and other rich teenagers that attend there. Julie's boyfriend Jonathan Thomas, a short but extremely handsome dark haired senior was voted cutest TV sitcom star and Ashley's boyfriend Devon Edward made numerous amounts of movies in which girls fall in love with the blonde's boyish good looks instantly. In addition to the movie producing step-father Julie gained in the move from New Jersey to California, she also grabbed a sexy step-brother Jason James who became famous as a movie star during his childhood but is now known to be a member of a rock band that plays at the best college parties and club openings in Southern California.

As stated, wealthy and popularity does not come without enemies. At Beverly Hills High, Julie and Ashley have a standing war against a band of blondes- those California dimes that seem to have everything in the world. The band is led by Carrie Anna, an heiress to a famous hotel chain, and Jessica Wesson, an actress.

With eleventh grade coming to a close, the brazen brunettes think the summer is set for good music, good parties, and good make out sessions but the blondes are ready to bring them down. And Andrew's along for the ride.


	2. Chapter One

**Chapter One**

The secret to a good relationship is understanding and trusting one another (and good sex of course). If that's really the only effort needed to make a relationship work, than why is it so difficult that I can't manage it? I guess that would require actually understanding and trusting, wouldn't it?

Looking in from an outsider's point of view, my life seems childish, over-dramatic, and just plain pointless. But in my opinion, it's the most fascinating life in the world. Why? Because I am a teenage girl, and as a teenage girl I think I am gorgeous, important and deserve everyone's attentions. I'm also from California and rich (ok, so my parents are rich and I just spend their money). The one main problem with that is there are way too many other rich teenaged girls in California who all think the same way as I do. They think they are beautiful and deserve the hottest cars and the hottest boyfriends. Well, there is one thing that certain teenaged girls like me have for the advantage; we're conniving and ruthless bitches. So it's about time someone put the ones who aren't in their place, and I think I shall be the one to do that. Maybe then will I be able to do that trusting thing.

After school on a hot Friday afternoon in May, I sat in front of my super-cute brand new hot pink laptop computer typing up the last few sentences of my junior English research paper. The essay counts as 40% of the class grade and is the final paper we have to write for eleventh grade English. It is almost the end of the school year and the only important thing left to do in the class is the final project, which is a group thing so I'm sure I'll ace it. Since California is always beach ready by mid April, after my paper is finished I'll be heading to the beach with my best guy friend and next door neighbor, Andrew Scott. Since its Friday, I will come home from the beach, take a shower, and get ready for a long night out with my amazingly gorgeous boyfriend. After concluding my essay, I shut my lap top and threw on a new baby pink laced bikini. I'll admit it looked absolutely fabulous next to my tan California skin.

Andrew was at the door ten minutes later with keys to his jeep wrangler in hand. (Some of us rich kids, who grew up in the working class, like to keep a casual car so it A. reminds us that just because you have lots of money doesn't mean you have to spend it on unnecessary things and B. doesn't look like we're always showing off.)

"Would you rather take the convertible?" he asked when I opened the door, pointing behind himself towards my custom order silver hard top convertible Eclipse Spyder with black leather interior. It's still a casual car, I swear.

I shook my head, throwing my beach bag over my shoulder, closing the door behind me, and skipped down the winding walkway, my mint green wrap dress bikini cover up swaying, after him out to the jeep.

Beyond our gated community, within walking distance, was the Pacific Ocean. I'm not very lazy and will walk the distance, but Andrew had his surf board with him, and carrying those is a pain in the ass. When I was finally relaxing on the beach under the afternoon sun, I heard my cell phone ring quietly from inside my bag. I pulled it out, only to see the words 'blond bitch' flashing on the screen.

"Carrie Anna, my favorite blond whore, what can I help you with this afternoon?" I answered to the one girl at school I truly despised.

"Well hello, Miss Bitch. Getting the stick removed from your ass any time soon?"

"What do you want?" I rolled my eyes and turned over on my towel so that the tan on my back would even out with my front.

"I heard you weren't going to the 'BOMB' club opening on the strip next weekend. Didn't get an invitation?" The delusional girl seriously thinks she's cooler than I am.

"Of course I got one, idiot. My brother's band is opening. I'm just not going. What's it to you?"

"Well, everyone who's anyone is going to be there, and say if no one saw you there they might think that you're a nobody and your popularity status for next year will be shot."

"Aw, how nice of you to care for my well being. Please, you act like I'm not already the most popular girl in the school despite the fact I'm only a junior and that not showing up at one club opening is going to affect that. I have better things to do than go to _another_ club opening. More _mature_ things."

"Sure, whatever. Anyway, I heard Andrew telling everyone the other day that you were a cock-sucking slut."

"Oh so that's why you're interrupting my otherwise most relaxing beach time." I said as Andrew came up the sandy hill from the water, threw his dripping surf board down and lied across it on his stomach. I turned to him. "So Andrew, Carrie says you called me a cock sucking slut. Is that right?" I asked both into the phone and to Andrew.

"He's right there?" Carrie asked surprisingly and Andrew gave me a confused look.

"Of course he is. You don't think I came to the beach alone? I'm not pathetic."

"Whatever," she said before hanging up the phone.

"So Carrie's trying to start trouble, is she?" Andrew laughed turning onto his back and squinting up at the sun. "How come you never go surfing with me anymore? I remember you being extremely good at it."

"Not as good as I am now," I said matter-of-factly.

"How, you're never out in the water." He pointed out.

"The waves suck in the afternoon. I go out in the morning before school."

"You do not."

"Andrew Scott, I thought you were my best friend. You're supposed to know everything about me."

"Maybe, I'd know more if we were sleeping together." He said nonchalantly, turning over on his side to face me.

"Shut up…" I threw the towel I used to cover my face from the sun at him, though the thought _had_ occurred to me a time or two.

At the two story five-bedroom mansion home I shared with my mother, my step-father James, my biological brother Stephen, and my step-brother Jason, in my private bathroom covered completely in tan and mint green palm tree décor I hopped in the shower, then straightened my long dark brown hair and applied makeup to my flawless bronzed face.

It was two hours later when I'd finally finished prepping for a night out. The doorbell rang and my older step-brother Jason James yelled up the stairs, "Jewlz, your boyfriend's here."

Living in Los Angeles gives access to many now and then well known actors, especially when you're as gorgeous as me. My boyfriend starred on a sitcom for many years as a child which ended when he was fourteen. This gave him a very large bank account and he managed to get his parents to let him use it before he turned eighteen. After being lucky enough to have rich parents, I also have an extremely rich boyfriend which gives me many opportunities to things which most normal people envy very much. I feel that it is all very well-deserved since I had to spend the first half of my life in New Jersey. I enjoy it greatly.

I hopped down the left side of the double sided staircase into the foyer where my wonderful boyfriend of over a year stood in a tuxedo. I, however, was still in my bathrobe.

"What's the special occasion?" I questioned putting my arms around his neck for a welcome hug.

"I want you to put on that sexy red Chanel slip dress I bought you for your cruise last year and let me take you out. I have a surprise for you." I'm spoiled I know.

He followed me back upstairs to my room and shut and locked the door behind us. I went into my massive walk-in closet and as I reached up to take a red glitter cocktail dress off its hanger Jonathan followed inside, wrapped his arms around my waist and began kissing my neck.

"Why don't you take off that robe and let me see that gorgeous naked body of yours?" he whispered in my ear.

I moved out from his grip, into the bedroom, and towards the bathroom. "Not now, Jonathan," I said loud enough for him to hear through the bathroom door. I'm sure your limo driver wouldn't want to wait all that time." Having been with Jonathan for more than a year, I know sex with him wouldn't last more than 10 minutes anyway but I couldn't bruise his ego. Not to mention that really I just wasn't in the mood to mess up my perfectly made up face.

"I pay him a lot, he'll be fine," he whined and plopped himself down on the queen size bed in the center of the bedroom.

Five minutes later, after I had on the dress and used a curling iron to bounce up my hair, I came out of the bathroom to let Jonathan admire me only he was no longer in the room. After strapping on a pair of red crystal studded stilettos, I went downstairs to find Jonathan and Jason sitting at the kitchen table discussing the University of California, Los Angeles as usual.

"Haven't you already memorized the names and locations of every frat on the campus?" I raised one eyebrow at Jonathan, crossing my arms.

"You'd think he'd realized by now that I live at home and am in a successful rock band, and that I don't care about which frat is having which party unless that frat is paying my band to play there," Jason added, leaving back in the chair.

I smiled sympathetically at him. Jonathan got up and began pulling me by a wrist towards the front door. "Will you let Mom and James know I'll be home late?"

"Eh, they'll be in New York all weekend so I'm in charge of you and Stephen."

"New York for what?" I stopped in the hallway, pulling my arm back from Jonathan. Rich parents are always absent though; and not necessarily a bad thing.

Jason turned in the chair so he could face me behind him. "Dad keeps trying to explain to the production company that he is focusing solely on the restaurant right now and isn't interested in producing a new mini series planned for the fall line up. It's too bad they already rented the sound stage, built the set and started filming and now Dad has to go take care of the thing. But just because I'm in charge doesn't mean you can stay out all night. Just call when you're on your way home. I'll be up most of the night writing this new song for our album anyway."

"What would I do without a protective older brother to look out for me?" I winked and turned back towards the front door.

Jonathan was already at the door, tapping his foot patiently on the marble. He grabbed my wrist and pulled me out into the walkway. "Come on then," he said through a gritted smile.

In the long winding driveway in front of my house was a black stretch limo. Jonathan is 18-years-old and still does not have a driver's license. He thinks because he's rich enough to be able to afford a driver he should always have one. Personally, I enjoy driving… and I think it's a waste of money to pay for a driver… unless you know… you're too drunk to drive. Jonathan turned on a romantic ballad and held onto my hand as the driver sped his way on the interstate. "So where are we going?" I asked as he kissed my neck again.

"I told you. I have a surprise for you." He sat up and grabbed both of my hands in his. "Do you remember what you were doing the last time you wore this red dress?"

_ Sure, I was on the Sapphire Princess Cruise ship on my way to the Caribbean from Miami, Florida when I was extremely hot for one of the cruise directors. Jay bet me a hundred bucks that I couldn't get with him because he was gay but I totally proved Jay wrong when I grabbed his ass one night in the night club._

"I was on a cruise ship in the middle of the Caribbean," I optioned for a shorter, more innocent second answer. I don't think Jonathan would have appreciated the first one.

"You emailed me that night from the ship and told me you were upset that you were dressed absolutely gorgeous and wished I was there to dance with you all night long."

"Yes. I suppose." _I was drunk and had just made out with the guy for two hours. I was horny._

"Well…"

The limo was slowing to a stop just then and the driver announced that we'd had arrived. When we were parked, the chauffeur opened the side door to let us out of the vehicle. We were standing in front of a waterfront dock where Jonathan keeps a two bedroom yacht.

"Being in front of a camera your entire childhood does have its advantages. Who knew R.T. would buy me a yacht, a limo, my own apartment on 5th Ave in New York City, and a chance to spend this wonderful evening with this beautiful girl that I am in love with?"

I feigned a tear though I really wanted to roll my eyes. Actors are so dramatic sometimes. They also love to brag, though instead of telling him that I wrapped my arms around him instead. "This is amazing. I am so happy you are sharing this moment with me, Jonathan Thomas."

"The pleasure is all mine," he smiled and led me up onto the boat.

"No staff?" I asked, climbing up behind him onto the Captains deck. He started the engines and pulled out of the wharf.

"Baby it's just you and me. I'm the driver, the cook, the waiter, the host, and if you treat me right, your midnight entertainer." He winked and put the boat on cruise control before throwing his arms around my bare shoulders. Chills ran down my spine.

"Cold, Sweetheart?" he asked noticing I now had my arms folded across my chest.

"Yeah, it's a little chilly tonight now that the sun is completely set."

"Why don't you head inside and make yourself comfortable. I'll be down in a few minutes after I anchor the boat."

"Alright," I said and descended the spiral staircase onto the main deck. The main inside cabin was neatly decorated in a tan and baby blue patterns with an off-white carpet and tan leather sofas. A satellite stereo system was set up in the corner of the room, connected to a speaker system spread throughout the entire boat. I flipped it on and used the remote to play what was already programmed in.

Jonathan arrived in the room a few minutes when the boat was anchored and floating lazily in the water. He took my hand and led into the closed dining room where dinner had already been set up. He removed heat-conserving plate covers and put them on a serving table in the corner of the room, then grabbed two glasses and a bottle of my favorite red wine from the wine cabinet against the wall. He served the drinks and then sat opposite me at the table. Before touching his fork, he lifted his glass to make a toast.

"Julie Christine," he stared down into my eyes, which forced me swallow the bite of filet mignon I had already taken and raise my own class. "When I look at us from the outside, I can't believe we are just teenagers. I feel in my heart that you and I have already grown into mature adults who can handle a mature situation. Looking back on this year, I've come to realize my feelings for you have only grown stronger and I need you to know this. I am here for you, whenever you need me. I will support you in all that you do and want you to be happy with me. I am presenting you with this gift…" he put down his glass of wine so he wouldn't spill any of it on the white table cloth while he took a small box from his tuxedo pants pocket. I took a sip of wine with one hand, and took the gift in the other. Inside the gold box was another box, a red velvet ring box. I hesitated before opening it. "…to help you believe I am in this for good."

The ring inside had a white gold band with a sapphire (both of our birthstones) in the center with two surrounding diamonds. "It's just a promise ring," he tried to reassure me when I saw that I was on the verge of a serious anxiety attack. "It stands for our relationship as well as our friendship. I promise to be there for you whenever you need me. And I want you to promise you'll be faithful to me, as long as we're together."

I sighed. "It's absolutely beautiful." He took the ring from my hands and slid it onto my right ring finger.

"But I simply can't compare it to your natural beauty."

I feel as though I'm in the middle of a movie. Jonathan has been a lead actor since he was eight years old and was known for being the cockiest guy at school. Most guys envy his good looks, even though he only stands at 5'4, and he knows he can get any girl he wants. So why all of a sudden is this guy, a guy known for making me pay for my own dinner when he makes millions of dollars a week for the network playing a rerun of his old sitcom, someone who has taken me on his yacht, made dinner for me, and purchased a gorgeous white gold ring for me to wear as a sign of commitment to him? I wonder what's really up.

After we ate and finished off the bottle of Merlot, he popped open another bottle and brought it to the bedroom with us. With the second bottle half way gone and the two of us entirely undressed with no one to bother us in the middle of the Pacific, nothing could be more perfect. It was pretty unfortunate when my cell phone rang and Jason wanted to know when I'd be heading home.

"I'll have her home in twenty minutes," Jonathan took my cell phone from my hands then placed it on the bedside dresser. He kissed me one long last time before hopping out of the bed, getting dressed, and heading back to the Captain's Deck to set back for the warf.

"It's one am, you know this right?" Jason asked as I walked through the door wearing my red dress under Jonathan's tuxedo jacket with my purse and shoes in hand.

"You said Mom and James wouldn't be home all night and I could stay out as long as I wanted, _Father._" I smiled and plopped down at the kitchen table. Jason had sheet music, notebooks and pens scattered across the table and an acoustic guitar in his hands.

"First of all, I did not say that you could stay out as long as you wanted. Second of all, your curfew is mid-night when you're not out with Andrew, or me, who can protect you-"

"You don't think my own _boyfriend_ can't protect me?" I interrupted.

"-and most importantly, you're sixteen and shouldn't be wasting your time with a conceited douche bag like Jonathan." he paused, "Also I just wanted you home for company. I need some help with this song I'm writing for the new album."

"You know I'm musically challenged," I frowned at him picking up one of his scribbled notebooks. "How's it go?"

He began to play, and normally Jay is all about the electric guitar but his wonderfully soothing acoustic was putting me right to sleep.

"By the way, how much did you drink tonight?" Jay asked, putting his hand under my chin and looking into my eyes.

"Not enough," I sighed. "But Jonathan's been such a romantic lately. I don't know what's gotten into him."

"Julie, I wish I didn't have to say this. But I really don't trust your fancy rich boyfriend. He's way too into himself and he knows that he can get whatever he wants. Please tell me he's not making you do anything you don't want to do."

"Jason James, you know I am a big girl and I can take care of myself. And I completely trust Jonathan. Maybe you should just be a little more open to him. I know you don't trust anyone who makes a living pretending they are someone else, but if I do recall, you did that once too you know, and made a pretty nice profit from it as well. So please don't try to tell me he's just using his acting skills to make me do what he wants."

"I'm just saying I wouldn't be too trusting of him."

"Yeah yeah." I stood up from my chair and slowly wobbled towards the staircase.

"Ha! Need help, wino?" he laughed as he watched me trip up the white carpet stairs. I waved my hand back at him and helped myself to my bedroom where I passed out on my comfortable queen platform bed.


	3. Chapter Two

**Please feel free to leave reviews! I'd love to know if I am missing details that would help clarify what is happening. I tend to rush through things. So please let me know if anything isn't making sense. Thanks!  
**

**Chapter Two**

The sun was just rising at 5:30am on Saturday morning when I woke up and threw a wet suit top and board shorts over a white string bikini. After a couple of hours on the beach with just my board and the waves, I drove back home with my surf board leaning out the back of my open Eclipse Spyder convertible. Just as I was turning the knob on the front door to my house, my best-friend and next door neighbor Andrew Scott came sprinting across my lawn.

"Julie Christine, just the girl I was looking for."

"Hey do I have a story to tell you. It's about last night with Jonathan," I said excitedly while opening the front door and walking into the kitchen where my older step-brother Jason was standing at the stove making pancakes and my younger biological brother Stephen was sitting at the table reading a computer gaming magazine. Andrew sat down next to Stephen. I pulled out a large coffee mug from an upper cabinet against the wall and poured into it from the pot Jason must have made minutes before. I took it to the table and sat down across from Andrew.

"So about last night…" I started.

"Well, I actually came to get some advice from Jay first. I'll listen to the story later." Andrew interrupted.

"I thought I was 'just the girl you were looking for'," I frowned and sipped at the steaming black coffee in front of me.

After the four of us had breakfast at the kitchen table, I gathered the dishes, rinsed them in the sink, and stacked them in the extremely expensive dishwasher my step-father James had installed while Andrew and Jason went into the adjoining den for their 'private conversation'. Stephen took his magazines through the dining room on the opposite side of the kitchen and into the library room where there was also a family computer. As I was about to head up the stairs to my bathroom to wash the beach off my body, Andrew came out of the den to read the newspaper which was spread out at the head of the kitchen table.

"So… are you going to tell me what you urgently had to talk to Jay about? And does it have anything to do with the reason you've been skipping fifth block most days?" I raised an eyebrow at him, crossing my arms, leaning back against the island in the center of our kitchen.

Before he opened his mouth, the front door flew open and my other best friend Ashley Lynne came running into the kitchen out of breath.

"Hey sexy girl, sit down. Breathe some." I reached over and pulled the closest table chair to me out and she fell into it. I walked around the table and sat down opposite her.

When a girl is young she does not realize her competition right away. Not being a teenager yet, she does not know it is vital to stay as far away from other girls as humanly possible. However every girl is entitled to one true best girl friend. This girl friend has signed an invisible agreement to have your back at all times. She will never date an ex, current, or future boyfriend of yours. She will keep all of your secrets no matter how embarrassing or interesting they are. The year my mother married my step-father James was the summer I was nine. We moved from New Jersey to California and I met Ashley Lynne from across the street, the first week in my new neighborhood. We of course have been best friends ever since.

"There's a house party at UCLA tonight. You're going?" she asked through loud, wheezing breaths.

"I believe so," I answered her. "Jay's band is playing there?" I questioned, looking towards Andrew. He nodded. "So I assume you're going too?" I looked at him… then back at Ashley.

"I'm actually hoping you'd help me with a little undercover work."

"Spying?" I leaned in closer. "On who?"

"Devon."

"Now why would we be spying on your boyfriend?" I sat back up straight, eyeing her.

"I think he's cheating on me."

"Cheating on the most gorgeous girl in school? Well, besides me of course." I pointed to myself, laughing jokingly. "Now why would he do a thing like that? Even if there was anyone better looking, which there is not, who would he find that would treat him better than you? There is no one. Maybe you're jumping to conclusions."

Andrew laughed. I frowned at him. "What?"

"Devon Edward, haven't I told you a million times, that guy is a creep."

"Don't listen to him. He says that about Jonathan too. But look what he gave me last night." I held out my right hand for Ashley to admire and be jealous of.

Andrew sat up and leaned over. "What the hell is that?!"

"A promise ring," I did a little happy dance in my seat.

"Tell me you're not engaged!" Andrew raked a hand through his sandy blond hair.

Ashley and I both looked over and frowned at Andrew.

"Well, it's not an engagement ring," Ashley raised her eyebrows at Andrew. "Freak."

When I got out of the shower, Ashley and Andrew lounged across my queen sized bed, lazily flight for the remote control to the 62 inch high definition LCD television against the wall.

"So what's the game plan?" I asked walking out of the bathroom and sitting in the swivel chair accompanying my computer desk in a plush baby-blue terry cloth bathrobe.

Ashley gave up the grip she had on the remote control to let Andrew have his way with my TV and turned to give me her attention. "Well, when I asked Devon about going to the party tonight at UCLA, he said he couldn't go because he was babysitting Clara. So I suggested that he bring her to my house where she could hang out with Sean and we could watch a movie or something."

"And what did he say to that?" I asked.

"He told her to go out with her friends because he didn't feel well and just wanted to stay home by himself." Andrew answered, dropping the remote on the bed and turning to join our conversation.

"Well, was he sick last night?" I asked. "You went out last night right?"

"No. He was perfectly fine at school. But then last night he said he wanted to finish his senior English research paper. And tonight, he wants to stay in again." Ashley whined.

"Sounds like complete bullshit if you ask me." Andrew piped in and I rolled my eyes.

"So what do you think I should do?" Ashley asked.

"I dunno," I started. "Screw him, I guess. Go out with your two best friends, get drunk, and steal Carrie's man of the week for shits and giggles. I mean we could go to his house and see what's really up but why waste a perfectly good college party and free alcohol on some cheating loser anyway?"

"Well I'm not really _that_ sure he's cheating on me. I think I'm just going to stay home tonight." Ashley rolled off the bed and walked to the bedroom door.

"Don't be a loser, Ash."

"Call me if anyone important is there."

"You mean besides me and Andrew? Whatever. I'll call."

I rolled my eyes as Ashley left the room.

"Finally," Andrew picked the remote control back up and flipped channels until he found a talk show. "Seriously, how many men do these women sleep with when they conceive their babies? Come on now." He was referring to the TV.

Still in my bathrobe, I got up out of my chair, walked over to the bed, lied down on top of Andrew and kissed him quick on the lips. "Buy me lunch."

"Doesn't James give you money all the time?" Andrew asked sarcastically.

"He's in New York and I'm broke."

"How are you broke? You have a black American Express card with no limit."

"You know I only use that for clothes. And gas for my car."

"Then get a job." He wrapped his arms around me.

"I have a job."

"Hosting at your step-father's restaurant once every six months when you don't feel like attending some big social event and need an excuse does not count as a job."

"Please buy me lunch, Andrew Scott?" I whined until he gave in. I threw on a pair of very short jean shorts and a cute tank top with flip flops and we hopped into my convertible.

The Beverly Center is one of the most famous (and most expensive) shopping malls in the United States. When movie stars and the like are not on Rodeo Drive (or having designers deliver new merchandise directly to their homes), they are shopping at the Beverly Center. At the indoor mall in which massive stores overflowed with expensive things only the rich from California could afford, Andrew and I sat in the gourmet food court. While Andrew chewed on a $20 hot dog, I sat next to him, looking around as to pick out all of the hot girls walking by that Andrew should ask out. For some reason, though, he wasn't that into the game.

"How about her?" I pointed to a blonde across the promenade, exiting Bloomingdales. Not my favorite hair color, I will admit, but there aren't too many of us gorgeous brunettes in California. Hell, I'll even rather have Andrew date a red-head but what can you do?

"Jessica Westin?" Andrew raised one eyebrow, recognizing the face of a girl who went to our high school.

"Is that her?" I squinted, trying to focus on her. "Oh yeah. It is." I waved her off and began to search for a girl Andrew could date, who I didn't want to kill out of general hatred.

"With Devon?" Andrew asked as I took a sip from the straw poking out of a bottle of mineral water I had in my hand.

I looked again towards one of the blonde bitches I despised and spit out the water, spraying Andrew. "What the hell is she doing with Devon?" We watched as Devon passed her a bottle of water he'd been holding and took in return the shopping bags she was holding.

"You think I know?" Andrew looked at me and raised his eyebrows. "Do you think Ashley knows?" When he asked, Devon and Jessica has interlocked their free hands.

"That whore!" I stood up but Andrew pushed me back down at the table. "If she thinks she can do this to my best friend and get away with it, she has another thing coming. Oh, the Jersey is in me is about to be released. I am going to straight up kill her skank-ass!"

"Jewlz…" Andrew warned and stood up. He signed as he watched me fume from the table, squeezing so hard on the bottle of sparkling water that I was like to shatter the glass in my rage. "You can't really blame Jess though. You're always saying how girls were born to be conniving and ruthless bitches or whatever… so blame it on the cheating asshole. Come on." He held out his hand to help me from my seat.

"At least take a picture with your phone!" I exclaimed, reaching for the cell phone in my black leather handbag. "If I can't go kill her, we at least have to tell Ashley right now!"

"Honestly, Jewlz. It's really none of our business. At least, it's none of _my_ business. If you tell her right now and there's a completely logical explanation, Ashley might think you're _trying_ to ruin her relationship on purpose. Don't you think you should let Ashley find out on her own?"

"Why would Ashley think I'd try to ruin her relationship on purpose?" I rolled my eyes and finally fished my phone out of my purse. I snapped a photo of Devon and Jessica and threw my phone back in my bag. "You're such a boy sometimes."

"I'm glad you think so." Andrew smiled, to my utter annoyance. "Don't worry. Tonight, when Ashley goes to Devon's house and finds him not there, she'll figure it out. And then you won't have to get involved." Andrew wrapped an arm around my shoulders and led me back to the parking garage where my silver Eclipse Spyder was waiting for us.

I threw on a black silk wrap dress that only dropped down to about mid-thigh, with a white gold necklace, my beautiful new white gold promise ring from my oh so very hot boyfriend, Jonathan, and black stiletto heels. I brushed through my freshly straightened still-hot-from-the-straightener hair and applied the final touches of my makeup before heading downstairs and waiting for my ride. Some words of advice for my fellow party goers… never volunteer to be the designated driver on the night of a hot college frat party.

"Are you following us or hopping in the back seat?" I asked Andrew as he opened the front door and walked into the foyer, wearing a black button-down shirt with the long sleeves rolled up to his elbows and khaki pants.

We stood in the foyer just as my Mom followed through the door. My Mom was the picture perfect example of a Beverly Hills housewife. She was tall and slender with shoulder-length black hair left curly most days and she wore all the expensive clothing her husband's money could buy. In New Jersey, she had let herself go, fattening up the way mothers usually did. And she lived on a teacher's salary. When James met her, she was clean cut and work driven. Since moving to California, she'd gotten herself a Tennis trainer, dropped all her post-baby weight, and quit working. I'd like to say that suddenly having an infinite amount of money at her expense hadn't changed her, but it had. Instead of teaching children, she worked on charities. She also drank a lot of wine and did a lot of traveling, with and without her second husband.

"Well, don't you two look adorable, all dressed up and matching? Heading somewhere special?" She asked, dropping her Louis Vuitton luggage on the marble floor.

"Weren't you supposed to be in New York with James all weekend?" I asked.

"I decided to come home tonight. Your step-father is still there. It was giving me a headache, listening to him yell at people. He's taking a flight back in the morning. Where are your brothers?"

"Jay is already at the place we are going. Blue Riot is playing. And I believe Stephen went to Sean's for the night."

"Alright, you two have fun and please no throwing up all over my brand new bathroom rugs. Jason ruined the last ones in the downstairs powder room and I wanted them all to match."

I rolled my eyes as my mother disappeared into the kitchen, most likely to open a bottle of wine. Andrew and I laughed as Jonathan honked the horn from the driveway. Even Jonathan knows it's not a good idea having a driver take you to a frat party at UCLA. Not every student there is famous or comes from a rich family.

"I'm just going to follow you guys," Andrew said as we walked down the walkway towards Jonathan's dark purple crossfire convertible. "I'm not drinking that much or staying too late. I have to be capable of finishing my English paper before school on Monday."

"Such a slacker. Should have finished it yesterday afternoon like I did," I smiled to him as I opened the door to Jonathan's car.

"Yo Andrew," Jonathan nodded towards him as he walked past the car. "Following me? I just hope you can keep up with this baby in that ole wrangler of yours," he smirked.

Andrew cocked a smile and rolled his eyes at me before he went into his own car next door and followed us down the freeway to the party.

"Well, well, well. Look who decided to show up," a guy from my History class named Brian Arie said jokingly as I walked into the kitchen of a UCLA frat house in search of the hard liquor.

He had already poured raspberry flavored vodka in two shot glasses and handed me one of them as he acknowledged Andrew walking in the kitchen behind me. After Andrew got himself a red plastic cup and filling it with beer from a keg sitting in a tub of ice on the kitchen's linoleum floor, he leaned against the counter and watched as Brian and I downed those shots, plus two more each. He then advised me to switch to beer and I also filled a red cup form the keg. When Andrew found a group of other high school students and began a conversation, I drunkenly explored the rest of the house looking for my boyfriend, who'd disappeared when we'd arrived.

There he was, once again talking up some star struck college girl about his sit-com character, his limo and his boat. _Blah blah blah._ I walked up behind him and lightly tapped his shoulder.

"Excuse me. I'm a little lost and totally drunk. Do you think you could help me out?" I winked at him before turning to the girl. "Sorry, girl I don't know. I'm taking your boyfriend away."

She smiled the back-stabbing smile I was so used to in California. "We were in the middle of a conversation."

"Yeah… see, I really don't care."

"Whatever." She rolled her eyes and walked away.

"So what can I help you with, Sweetheart?" Jonathan asked as I took his hand and pulled him up the center staircase towards the second floor where bedrooms upon bedrooms of frat boys were located. I feigned falling backwards and he caught me.

"Whoops. I seem to have had a little too much to drink tonight. Would you mind staying with me to make sure I don't fall again?" I laughed, teasingly.

"No problem," he smiled. "So would you mind telling me your name?"

I know what you're thinking but it's a game my smokin' hot boyfriend and I always play at drunken college parties. I pretend to be extremely wasted and lost (ok, sometimes I really am extremely wasted and lost) and find a hot stranger to accompany me into a bedroom where we make hot passionate sex in a random frat boy's bed.

I pulled him into an empty bedroom and locked the door behind us. "I don't see where my name is important at the moment. However it would be nice to know yours so I can scream it a little later."

"My name is Jonathan. You might know me from a sitcom I used to be on TV."

"Oh you're _that_ Jonathan. I must say, you are extremely hot, more so in person. I wonder how good in bed you are."

I smiled and kissed him. Just as things got down and dirty, music began blaring downstairs and based on the girls screaming I assumed it was Jay's band Blue Riot beginning a set. Upstairs, Jonathan and I were soon completely drenched in sweat on some random frat boy's bed, just the way we planned.

When we were both re-dressed and walking down the staircase Ashley stormed through the double doorway of the frat house's main entrance.

"Ashley, what are you doing here?" I asked, remembering she optioned to stay home by herself tonight since her douche of a boyfriend left her to go cheat with a blond bitch. I ran down the rest of the stairs when spotted tears streaming from her big brown eyes. "What's wrong? Are you OK?"

I took her into the kitchen, found a bottle of Jack Daniels hidden in a cabinet, and poured us each shots. After throwing back the shot, Ashley choked on her words.

"I went to Devon's…" she said between sobs. "…because he said he was staying home to baby-sit Clara. Since he said he wasn't feeling well, I brought him home-made chicken soup. I thought once I was there, he wouldn't make me leave and we could watch a movie together or something but when I got there his parents' cars were in the driveway."

"They could've gotten a driver if they were going somewhere important." I shrugged. "You know how rich people are. They don't drive themselves."

"Clara answered the door and hesitated to tell me that Devon hadn't been home all day. Said some girl Jessica called around noon and he disappeared, hasn't been home since. Jessica who, Jewlz? Do you know something I don't?"

It was my turn to hesitate. "Jessica Westin," I finally answered as I dabbed a napkin on Ashley's tear stained face. Make up had started running down her cheeks.

"When I asked you earlier today, you didn't think he was cheating on me. If you knew something, why didn't you tell me?" she looked angry but was more upset than anything.

"I only found out this afternoon. Andrew and I saw them at Beverly Center holding hands. Here. I took a picture." I said pulling my phone out of the small black clutch I had strapped to my wrist. I scrolled to the picture while I continued, "I swear I wanted to tell you but Andrew said you should find out on your own. That way, if my assumptions were wrong you wouldn't get mad at me and think I was trying to sabotage your relationship." I handed her the phone when I had the picture showing on the screen. I then took the whisky and continued to drink straight from the bottle.

"Why would try to sabotage my relationship?" she cocked her head at me. Mascara continued to run down her cheeks and my attempts to clean her up were unsuccessful.

"I don't know. Andrew said it." At this point in the night, I'd had so much to drink I couldn't see straight. While Ashley and I were standing by the fridge in our conversation, Jonathan had grabbed a seat at the round kitchen table and started playing a drinking card game with some drunken douche bag frat boys. "Here's an idea. Why don't we grab Jonathan, go find Andrew and then we can all go home and watch a movie so I can pass out on the couch and you can stop thinking about that cheating asshole, Devon."

I looked over at my boyfriend, who was intensely involved in the game. "Jonathan, we're ready to leave." I called out to him over the yelling of the players.

"Are you kidding?! I just started playing. I'm not even drunk yet."

"My best friend is hurting. Are you serious right now?" I snapped at him.

"That I am," he rolled his eyes and took the pack of playing cards from the previous dealer.

"Unbelievable," I huffed through gritted teeth, looking back towards Ashley but she was no longer there. I staggered around on sky-high heels looking for Ashley and Andrew. When I found Ashley she had three empty shot glasses in front of her and a fourth filled with brown bourbon.

"How the hell are we going to get your car home now? I can't drive. You certainly can't drive. I don't even know if Andrew can drive!" I yelled over a hyper Blue Riot song, as we were now in the room where the stage was set up.

"I'm fine," Andrew answered from behind us.

"Where have you been?" I looked at him. Some look of guilt was hiding in his eyes.

"Just around…" he said casually.

"Probably the same place he is during 5th block English," Ashley laughed hysterically.

"Yeaaahhhh… why don't the two of you drunken bitches get in the jeep, and I'll talk to Jay about getting Ashley's car home." Andrew changed the subject, pointing up at my step-brother on stage whom had just finished playing his guitar and was putting away band equipment.

"I'm sure he's too drunk to drive. It's why he left his car at home and went in Ben's." I pointed up to the cute lead singer Ben who was helping the drummer Taylor take apart the drum set. It was too bad Ben was married because he's so cute _I'd_ try to date him.

"Well, you two go outside and I'll talk to Jay."

Outside, Ashley and I remained unbalanced and leaned against Andrew's Jeep Wrangler to keep from falling over.

"I cannot believe you were downing bourbon like it was water." I said in disbelief.

Ashley began a fit of giggles while Andrew and Jay had joined us outside, both carrying a 24-count box of Keystone Light cans. (Keystone Light is the shit beer college kids drinks.)

"I cannot believe you two are so drunk I have to take my beer home!" Jay announced and dropped the box into the trunk of Andrew's jeep.

"I cannot believe you're drinking Keystone Light," I pretended to gag, which caused Ashley to snort and I joined in on the giggles.

"Just give me Ashley's keys; I'll meet you guys at home."

At my step-fathers estate, it was already 1:30 am and my mother was retired in the master bedroom, most likely passed out from her wine consumption. Andrew tried to subdue the still-hysterically laughing Ashley and myself as we tiptoed into the house.

Jay had arrived a minute later and helped Andrew put the beers in the fridge. Ashley and I were allowed to pick out the movie we were going to watch but were no longer allowed to consume alcoholic beverages. Ten minutes into the movie, as I was drifting into a drunken stupor, Ashley had began crying again over her cheating loser boyfriend and Jay tried to calm her down with a little acoustic music. Eventually I had passed out.


End file.
